"The gang every string player wants to be in". The Guardian (UK) Our principal activity is to encourage, promote and support the Australian Chamber Orchestra and it's performing activities and other activities to a large and diverse domestic and international audience as possible. 2022 will perhaps be remembered as the year that the ACO embarked on its greatest adventure yet. The ACO moved into its first permanent home, the spectacular Pier 2/3 premises at the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct. Our move to Pier 2/3 represented a new chapter for the ACO, filled with an abundance of opportunities and creative and collaborative potential. The ACO team dramatically expanding our traditional audience offerings to include ACO Up Close series which shone a spotlight on the exceptional talents of our Principal musicians, our ACO Relaxed Concerts, which presented the ACO s mainstage concerts within a flexible setting tailored to those for whom a traditional concert experience may be inaccessible, broadcasting digital streams live from our very own concert hall, regular school holiday programs and workshops for young audiences, and inviting our friends and collaborators from across the globe to give concerts in this magnificent space. Following what were undoubtably the most devastating and disruptive 2 years for the performing arts industry, the ACO resumed its touring activities with gusto in 2022, performing a record 227 concerts to audiences across Australia and abroad. ACO made a welcome return to international touring, performing concerts in residence at Berlin s Pierre Boulez Saal and at London s Barbican Centre. 2022 was also the year that Richard Tognetti and the Orchestra premiered River, our muchanticipated cinematic collaboration. We are delighted with the recognition that Richard Tognetti s score for the production has received, with the River soundtrack receiving the 2022 ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack Album, 2022 AACTA Award for Best Original Score in a Documentary and 2022 APRAAMCOS Screen Music Award for Best Soundtrack Album. The ACO s Learning & Engagement program had a remarkable year. Due to the incredible facilities and spaces at ACO Pier 2/3, we were able to expand our awardwinning ACO Families series, creating, producing and premiering two new ACO Families shows in 2022, How to Catch a Star and Dear Santa. In addition, we remounted our sellout show There s a Sea in my Bedroom, which, following an opening run at ACO Pier 2/3, embarked on a 60concert tour across regional venues in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. We are proud to share that these three ACO Families shows were seen by over 13,000 young people and their families in 2022, almost all of which were firsttime audiences to the ACO. In addition, over 12,000 hours of music education and mentoring activities were delivered by the ACO to 300 young people and developing musicians last year, through ACO's early years, talent development and community engagement programs.